Gruesome murder trial begins in the Poconos
STROUDSBURG, Pa. - A gruesome murder trial is getting underway in the Poconos for a man accused of killing and dismembering a woman more than six years ago. A jury has been selected in Monroe County for the trial of 40-year-old Charles Hicks. The Coolbaugh Township man was charged in 2008 for the death of 36-year-old Deanna Null.
Null's remains were discovered in trash bags scattered along Interstate 80 and Interstate 380 in Monroe and Lackawanna counties in late January 2008. Hicks was charged two months later, when investigators said they found Null's severed hands inside his Tobyhanna home. According to court records, those remains were wrapped in socks, soaked in detergent, and packed inside plumbing equipment. Police claim they also found a boot that appeared to be splattered with blood inside Hicks' car. According to court records, Hicks admitted to providing and doing drugs with Null in exchange for sex. Those same records say Hicks also confessed to having a problem hurting prostitutes. In 2011, a Monroe County judge prohibited testimony from four women Hicks was previously accused of assaulting. Three years of appeals ensued, but in April of this year, the State Supreme Court ruled those witnesses could take the stand. Hicks faces charges that include homicide, aggravated assault, and abuse of a corpse. If convicted, Hicks could face the death penalty. Opening statements begin Wednesday in Monroe County.
http://www.wfmz.com/news/Regional-Po...conos/29512052
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